NPD Sees Performance Footwear Climb Double-Digits In Fourth Quarter

The NPD Group reported performance footwear sales in the U.S. grew 12 percent in the fourth quarter against the pre-pandemic 2019 fourth quarter. Sales on the same basis of leisure footwear increased 2 percent while fashion footwear declined 4 percent.

In performance footwear, sales improved 12 percent from $1.8 billion against the 2019 period. Men’s sales were up 9 percent to $931.9 million, women’s sales expanded 23 percent to $619.2 million, and children’s increased 1 percent to $267.5 million.
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Total U.S. leisure footwear sales gained 2 percent to $5.6 billion. Sales were down 1 percent to $2.4 billion in men, grew 2 percent to $1.9 billion in women, and climbed 10 percent to $1.3 billion in children.

Total U.S. fashion footwear sales were down 4 percent to $4.5 billion against the 2019 period. Men’s sales were flat at $1.1 billion, women’s sales declined 7 percent to $3.0 billion, and children’s sales were up 17 percent to $437.4 million.

“Oversupply in 2021, supply chain issues, and a lack of newness in the market all were factors that hurt the overall U.S. athletic footwear business in the fourth quarter,” said Matt Powell, senior industry advisor, sports, The NPD Group, in a statement. “The biggest reason for the slowdown in the leisure footwear category was on account of the weaker trend put up by big brands including Nike, Jordan and Adidas. Running shoes drove gains in the performance footwear category, as smaller brands surged, including On, Hoka, Puma, and Reebok. Activity-based footwear including running, hiking, and walking shoes were among the biggest winners.”

“During the holiday season, growth in average selling prices mitigated the softness in unit sales, leading to slight growth in the U.S. footwear market overall. As consumers planned for more gatherings and activities, the fashion footwear segment accounted for most of the growth versus the 2020 holiday period,” said Beth Goldstein, fashion footwear & accessories analyst, The NPD Group. “However, sales of dressier silhouettes remained well below 2019 levels as consumers stuck with many of their pandemic tendencies and again gravitated towards casual and comfortable silhouettes like sneakers, slippers, clogs, and lug boots. In fact, Crocs was the No.6 best-selling footwear brand in Q4, a giant leap from its No. 19 position in Q4 2019.”